Complete guide to setting up and implementing FullStory for enterprise digital experience intelligence.

FullStory Setup & Implementation Overview

Implementation Approach

Implementing FullStory requires more than just adding a tracking script. A successful deployment involves planning your tracking strategy, configuring privacy settings, setting up custom events, and aligning FullStory with your business goals.

This section covers everything you need to deploy FullStory effectively across web applications, mobile apps, and complex multi-domain environments.

Pre-Implementation Checklist

Before installing FullStory, complete these preparatory steps:

Define Your Goals

What do you want to achieve with FullStory?

Understand user behavior and friction points
Debug production issues faster
Improve conversion rates and user experience
Reduce support ticket resolution time
Validate product launches and feature adoption
Identify bugs and errors before users report them

Identify Key User Journeys

Which flows should you track and optimize?

Sign-up and onboarding
Checkout and purchase
Feature discovery and adoption
Account upgrades and conversions
Support and help interactions
Critical workflows (data exports, reports, etc.)

Determine User Segments

Which user groups need separate analysis?

Free vs paid users
New vs returning users
Account types (individual, team, enterprise)
Geographic segments
Device types (mobile, tablet, desktop)
Traffic sources (organic, paid, referral)

Review Privacy & Compliance Requirements

Compliance considerations:

GDPR: EU user consent, data retention, right to deletion
CCPA: California user rights and opt-out
HIPAA: Healthcare data protection (if applicable)
PCI DSS: Payment card data security
Internal policies: Company data governance standards

Privacy planning:

Which pages contain sensitive data?
What fields need masking (passwords, SSN, credit cards)?
Do you need user consent before recording?
What's your data retention policy?
How will you handle data deletion requests?

Plan Your Event Taxonomy

What actions should you track?

Business events: Purchase, subscription, upgrade
Product events: Feature usage, settings changes
Engagement events: Video views, downloads, shares
Error events: Failed API calls, validation errors
Support events: Chat opened, ticket submitted

Establish User Identification Strategy

How will you identify users?

User ID format (database ID, email, UUID)
User properties to capture (plan, role, company)
When to call FS.identify() (login, page load, property changes)
Anonymous user handling

Choose Implementation Method

Deployment options:

Direct embed: Hardcoded in HTML (best performance)
Google Tag Manager: Managed by marketing team (easiest updates)
Segment: Centralized data pipeline (multi-tool setups)
Server-side rendering: Next.js, Nuxt.js integration
Mobile SDK: iOS and Android apps

Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Basic Setup (Week 1)

Objectives:

Install FullStory tracking script
Verify session recording works
Configure privacy and data masking
Set up team access

Deliverables:

FullStory installed on production site
Sessions recording successfully
Privacy rules configured
Team members invited with appropriate roles

Key Activities:

Create FullStory account and organization
Install tracking code (direct or via GTM)
Verify installation in FullStory dashboard
Configure privacy settings and data masking
Invite team members and assign roles
Set session sampling rate (if needed)

Phase 2: Event Tracking (Week 2)

Objectives:

Implement custom event tracking
Set up user identification
Configure key user properties

Deliverables:

Custom events tracking critical actions
Users identified with properties
Event taxonomy documented

Key Activities:

Define event naming conventions
Implement FS.event() calls for key actions
Set up FS.identify() for logged-in users
Add user properties (plan, role, signup date)
Test events in staging environment
Deploy and validate in production

Phase 3: Advanced Features (Week 3)

Objectives:

Set up conversion funnels
Create saved searches and segments
Configure alerts and notifications

Deliverables:

Funnels tracking key conversion paths
Saved searches for common analyses
Slack/email alerts for critical events

Key Activities:

Build funnels for sign-up, checkout, onboarding
Create segments for user cohorts
Save common searches for team
Set up Slack alerts for errors and frustration
Document funnel definitions and segments
Train team on using funnels and searches

Phase 4: Integrations (Week 4)

Objectives:

Connect FullStory with CRM, support, and collaboration tools
Enable data export to warehouse (if needed)

Deliverables:

Integrations active and tested
Session replays accessible in support/CRM tools
Data flowing to warehouse (if applicable)

Key Activities:

Connect Salesforce/HubSpot integration
Set up Zendesk/Intercom integration
Configure Slack notifications
Connect Jira for bug tracking
Set up data warehouse export (optional)
Test all integrations thoroughly

Technical Architecture

Client-Side Tracking

FullStory operates primarily on the client side:

How it works:

FullStory JavaScript snippet loads asynchronously
SDK initializes and checks sampling/privacy rules
Session recording starts (if conditions met)
SDK captures DOM snapshots, user interactions, events
Data is buffered and sent to FullStory servers in batches
Session becomes available in dashboard within 1-2 minutes

Performance Considerations:

Asynchronous loading minimizes impact on page load
Data sent in compressed batches to reduce bandwidth
Recording pauses when tab is inactive
Automatically excludes password fields and sensitive inputs

Data Flow

User Browser
    ↓
FullStory SDK Loads
    ↓
Check Sampling & Privacy Rules
    ↓ (if recording enabled)
Session Recording Starts
    ↓
Capture DOM Snapshots
Capture User Interactions (clicks, scrolls, inputs)
Capture Custom Events (FS.event)
Capture User Identity (FS.identify)
    ↓
Buffer Data Locally
    ↓
Send Data to FullStory Servers (batched)
    ↓
Process & Index Data
    ↓
Available in Dashboard & Omnisearch

Cookies & Storage

FullStory uses cookies and localStorage to track sessions:

Cookies:

fs_uid: User identifier (persistent, 1 year)
fs_lua: Last user activity timestamp
All FullStory cookies are first-party
No cross-site tracking

localStorage:

Session buffer (temporary storage before sending)
Configuration cache
Event queue

Privacy Notes:

Users can opt out via FS.consent(false)
Cookies can be cleared via browser settings
Data can be deleted on user request

Environment Strategy

Development Environment

Purpose: Test FullStory implementation safely

Setup:

Create separate FullStory organization for dev
Use different Org ID
Enable 100% session sampling for testing
Share access with dev team

Best Practices:

Test all events fire correctly
Verify privacy masking works
Check performance impact
Validate integrations

Staging Environment

Purpose: Final validation before production

Setup:

Use production Org ID or separate staging Org
Mirror production configuration
Test with realistic user scenarios

Testing Checklist:

FullStory loads on all pages
Events fire on expected actions
User identification works
Privacy rules mask sensitive data
Session replays capture interactions
Integrations function correctly
Performance benchmarks met
Consent flow works

Production Environment

Purpose: Collect real user data

Setup:

Use production Org ID
Configure appropriate sampling rate (if needed)
Enable privacy rules
Set up alerts and monitoring

Ongoing Management:

Monitor session quota usage
Review data quality weekly
Adjust sampling and filters based on needs
Keep event taxonomy updated
Conduct quarterly privacy audits

Team Roles & Responsibilities

Product Manager

Define tracking requirements
Prioritize features to instrument
Review session replays for insights
Create and analyze funnels
Share findings with team

Developer

Install and maintain FullStory script
Implement custom events
Integrate with tag management or CDPs
Debug technical issues
Ensure privacy and performance standards

UX Designer

Analyze session replays for usability issues
Review heatmaps and user journeys
Identify friction points
Propose and test UX improvements
Create saved searches for common issues

Support Manager

Connect FullStory to support tools
Train team on using session replays
Track support-related issues
Measure impact on ticket resolution time
Identify common user problems

Data Analyst

Create segments and cohorts
Build custom reports and dashboards
Analyze trends across sessions
Export data for deeper analysis
Recommend data-driven optimizations

Documentation Requirements

Maintain these documents for your implementation:

Tracking Plan

List of custom events with descriptions
User properties and their meanings
Funnel definitions
Saved search descriptions
Event property schemas

Privacy Documentation

Privacy rules configured
Data masking strategy
Consent management approach
Data retention policy
User data deletion process

Integration Map

Connected tools and services
Data flow diagrams
API credentials (securely stored)
Troubleshooting contacts
Integration testing procedures

Runbooks

Installation procedures
Event implementation guide
Privacy configuration guide
Debugging checklist
Escalation process

Success Metrics

Measure the success of your FullStory implementation:

Adoption Metrics

Number of sessions reviewed per week
Active users accessing FullStory
Saved searches created
Funnels analyzed
Insights shared with team

Impact Metrics

Bugs found via session replay
Support ticket resolution time reduction
Conversion rate improvements
UX issues identified and fixed
Time saved debugging production issues

Engagement Metrics

Team members actively using FullStory
Cross-functional collaboration on insights
Time from insight to implementation
Frequency of product review sessions

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Over-Recording

Pitfall: Recording 100% of sessions on high-traffic sites exhausts quota quickly

Solution: Use strategic sampling

Focus on key user segments (logged-in users, paid customers)
Sample anonymous traffic at lower rate (10-25%)
Exclude low-value pages (admin, internal tools)

Under-Planning Events

Pitfall: Installing FullStory without event strategy leads to missed opportunities

Solution: Define event taxonomy upfront

What actions matter most?
How will you name events consistently?
What properties will you capture?

Ignoring Privacy

Pitfall: Not configuring privacy settings can lead to compliance issues

Solution: Prioritize privacy from day one

Mask sensitive fields (passwords, SSN, credit cards)
Exclude pages with PII
Implement consent management
Document privacy practices

Poor Event Design

Pitfall: Inconsistent event names make analysis difficult

Solution: Establish naming conventions

Use verb + noun format (e.g., "Clicked CTA Button")
Be consistent across events
Document event meanings
Review and refine regularly

Siloed Usage

Pitfall: Only one person uses FullStory, insights don't spread

Solution: Democratize access

Invite team members with appropriate roles
Share interesting sessions in meetings
Create shared dashboards
Train multiple people on key features

Next Steps

After reviewing this overview, proceed to:

Install or Embed Tag or SDK - Deploy FullStory tracking
Event Tracking Setup - Implement custom events
Data Layer Setup - Configure GTM data layer
Cross-Domain Tracking - Track users across domains
Server-Side vs Client-Side - Understand tracking options

Additional Resources: